Historia naturalis, an encyclopedia of natural history dating from the early Roman Empire compiled by Pliny the Elder about the year 77, contained 37 books, or topical chapters, covering what was known of the natural sciences up to that time. In the last pages of Book 36, Pliny introduces the subject of glass by describing the relatively recent decorative technique of tiling vaulted ceilings with glass mosaics. Then he recounts a fable-like tale about the discovery of glass, which takes place on the glistening sands in ancient Syria. Pliny writes: “There is a story that once a ship belonging to some traders in natural soda put in here and that they scattered along the shore to prepare a meal. Since, however, no stones suitable for supporting their cauldrons were forthcoming, they rested them on lumps of soda from their cargo. When these became heated and completely mingled with the sand on the beach a strange translucent liquid flowed forth in streams; and this, it is said, was the origin of glass.” Glassware and ornaments were made in Egypt and Mesopotamia about thirty hundred – twenty five hundred BC and consequently mankind produced glass more than five thousand years. Glass was transported from Egypt to the territory of Rome as well as Greece and Byzantium. Afterwors to the northern coast of the Black Sea about III to IV cc, and then on the Kievan Rus. The invention of blowpipe and the technology of glass blowing on the territory of modern Palestine and Syria about 100 BC was the major technological breakthrough in the glass production.